Students

Student Spotlight

Student of the Year

Headshot of Ms. Bethany Jowers

In recognition of her exemplary service to both the Office of High Impact Practices and Undergraduate Research (HIPUR) and the students which it serves, Ms. Bethany Jowers has been named HIPUR's first Student of the Year.

Ms. Jowers is a rising senior at the University of South Florida majoring in Biomedical Sciences and World Languages and Cultures: Spanish and Latin American Studies. During her time at USF, she has been given many opportunities for research involvement and has presented individual and group projects in multiple university, state, and national conferences. Off-campus, she has served as a research intern and internship coordinator for the Tampa General Hospital Transplant Institute. She has helped to create investigations during her community service at the USF Health Ybor Youth Clinic and the USF BRIDGE Clinic to improve care for underserved populations in the Tampa Bay area.

In Fall 2023, Ms. Jowers will complete her grant-funded Honors thesis research after conducting community health surveys in the Dominican Republic during an Honors Experience Abroad. Ms. Jowers says, "she is grateful to the USF faculty and staff who have supported her during her research journey, and is always looking for ways to help other students access similar opportunities."

Ms. Jowers is a brilliant, dedicated scholar and servant leader who exemplifies the very best in our amazing students. Congratulations to her on a well-deserved honor!


Research Scholar Awardees

The USF Undergraduate Research Scholar Award recognizes a student’s commitment to their development as a researcher during their undergraduate tenure. Below is the list of students who have received this honor.

  • Magdelena Alvarez, Communication Science and Disorders
  • Jaidon Angel, Communication Science and Disorders
  • Lena Bayyat, Communication Science and Disorders
  • Jade Brown, Communication Science and Disorders
  • Aisha Bazlamatci, Interdisciplinary
  • Samuel Camilli, Health Science
  • Presley Camp, Social Science
  • Samantha Deveaux, Health Sciences
  • Iman Elkolalli, Communication Science and Disorders
  • Christine Grossman, Psychology
  • Cassandra Hendry, Communication Science and Disorders
  • Jacob Hensley, Engineering
  • Jacqueline Houston, Social Work
  • Yuri Lizardo, Communication Sciences and Disorders
  • Anna Beatriz Cortes Machado, Physical Science
  • Ebu Ojogwu, Health Science
  • Jessica O'Reilly, Communication Science and Disorders
  • Mackenzie Osborne, Psychology
  • Perdita Samuel-Lopez, Communication Science and Disorders
  • Abigail Reed, Interdisciplinary
  • Shanon Rego, Cell and Molecular Biology
  • Evelyn Spiller, Public Health
  • Karly Underwood, Social Science
  • Cindy Yang, Biomedical Science and Anthropology
  • Haley Vantoorenburg, Physical Science
  • Gabrielle Whyte, Humanities
  • Breanna Zurita, Communication Sciences and Disorders

2023 Undergraduate Research Conference

Select categories below to see the names and disciplines of the 2023 USF Undergraduate Research Conference award winners.

OneUSF General Disciplinary Awards 

Engineering: Jacob Hensley

Health Sciences: Samuel Camilli and Ebu Ojogwu

Huminities: Gabrielle Whyte

Interdisciplinary Research: Aisha Bazlamatc and Abigail Reed

Physical Science: Anna Beatriz Cortes Machado and Haley Vantoorenburg

Social Science: Presley Camp and Karly Underwood

Honorable Mentions: 

Engineering: Isabella St. Pierre-Charles

Health Sciences: Anagha Hesaraghatta and Misha Mathur

Interdisciplinary Research: Nidhi Bangalore and Kaitlyn Serafin

Physical Science: Lina Elessawy and Kira Ruiz-Houston

Social Science: Coleman O’Toole

Audience Choice Award Tampa Research Showcase

Audience Choice Award Winner:
Trisha Pitchala, CRISPR Cas9 in Cancer Therapy

Honorable Mention:
Issac Diaz Becdach, Natural Killer Cell Receptors (NKRs) Expression Modulates T Cell Effector Function in Vitro